Project Controls/Cost Control Lead

Project Controls/Cost Control Lead

Location: St John's, Canada
Contract Type: Contract Position (Annually Renewable)
Start Date: 19th October 2026
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, full-time office-based

Role Objective

This role supports cost control and overall project performance for projects within the East Coast office. The successful candidate will bring strong project controls experience, sound leadership capability, and excellent communication skills to support timely, accurate, and insightful cost management throughout the project lifecycle.

The position plays a key role in cost control, forecasting, change management, and performance reporting, working closely with integrated project teams, contractors, and leadership. The successful candidate will be a proactive communicator who can influence across functions, identify and escalate issues early, and provide clear, decision-ready reporting to support project execution.

Experience supporting offshore drilling campaigns is highly valued, particularly where the candidate has been responsible for daily cost reporting, progress tracking, and execution performance monitoring in a fast-paced operational environment.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Communication and Team Collaboration

• Demonstrate strong leadership in promoting project controls discipline, accountability, and continuous improvement across the project team.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with project leadership, integrated team members, contractors, and functional stakeholders.
• Build strong working relationships across Project Controls, Engineering, Construction, Supply Chain, Finance, Planning and Scheduling, and Project Governance.
• Proactively identify concerns, risks, and emerging issues, escalating them early with clear analysis and recommended actions.
• Support and guide project controls and team members in understanding project controls requirements, performance expectations, and reporting obligations.
• Contribute to a collaborative team environment by sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues, and helping to maintain continuity during absences or periods of peak workload.

Cost Control and Financial Performance

• Support the management of commitments, actual costs, allocations, and incurred costs.
• Develop, maintain, and analyse incurred cost forecasts and other project cost forecasts, with a strong focus on accuracy and timeliness.
• Monitor project performance against approved control budgets and identify potential deviations as early as possible.
• Perform cost variance analysis, trend analysis, and root-cause analysis to support informed decision-making.
• Provide supporting documentation, evidence, and explanations for identified changes and cost movements.
• Support contingency tracking and escalation-management planning.
• Develop and produce cost reports and financial performance updates required by project and business leadership.
• Produce daily project status reports during execution, including cost and progress updates where required.

Change Management and Project Controls Delivery

• Maintain the project change log and support the effective administration of project change-management processes.
• Initiate, coordinate, and manage Project Change Notices.
• Support the evaluation of cost and schedule impacts associated with potential changes.
• Work closely with the Lead, Cost Analyst, Scheduler, and project-management team to assess change impacts and support timely decision-making.
• Develop a strong understanding of the project baseline, control budget, scope, execution strategy, estimate basis, workforce hours, and schedule to enable quick and effective change assessment.
• Execute project controls deliverables in accordance with required standards, procedures, and timelines.
• Support progressive project closeout activities, including cost closeout, benchmarking, and final closeout approval.

Governance, Quality and Compliance

• Adhere to all safety requirements and support a strong culture of safety compliance.
• Understand and follow applicable project controls standards, procedures, templates, specifications, and governance requirements.
• Raise any deviation from project controls standards and procedures promptly and appropriately.
• Support Quality Assurance by ensuring process compliance and expected project controls behaviours.
• Support Quality Control through the accurate, timely, and high-quality completion of project controls deliverables.

Qualifications and Experience

Experience and Education

• Approximately 15 years of experience in Project Controls, with a strong background in cost control and project performance.
• A post-secondary degree or diploma, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience supporting major projects in an owner or EPC environment.
• Previous experience supporting offshore campaigns is strongly valued.
• Offshore drilling-campaign experience is considered a significant asset, particularly where it includes daily cost reporting, daily progress tracking, performance monitoring during execution, and support for fast-paced operational decision-making.
• Experience in planning and scheduling, project management of change, field progress systems, and contractor performance management within major project environments is an asset.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong leadership presence, with the ability to influence, coordinate, and build credibility across multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex cost and project information clearly and effectively to a range of stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to working across functional teams.
• Highly developed analytical, organisational, and problem-solving skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of Power BI is preferred.
• Working knowledge of project controls concepts, processes, standards, systems, and governance requirements.
• Ability to identify drivers, assess impacts, evaluate risks and opportunities, and recommend practical solutions.
• Working knowledge of project controls and project-management practices, including planning and scheduling, change management, field progress systems, and contractor performance management.
• Working knowledge of SAP is an asset.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and team development.

Working Conditions

• The position is based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
• This is an office-based role; hybrid or remote working arrangements are not available.
• No travel is currently anticipated.